Schlachter and Kennedy Dethrone Ruby and McGuire for Super-Senior Four-Ball Title
Todd Kennedy and Paul Schlachter pose with the Champion crystal
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - After years of close calls, Paul Schlachter and Todd Kennedy finally put it all together this week at Williamsport Country Club to win the Super-Senior division of the Pennsylvania Four-Ball Championship, presented by LECOM. Schlachter and Kennedy had played together in the senior division since 2011 and finished no worse than eighth, with five top-five finishes in that timeframe. But in their first foray into the Super-Senior divison, the pair shot rounds of 68-66 to win with a two-round score of 134 (-8), edging out three-time defending champions Joe Ruby and Mike McGuire.
Schlachter, of the Club at Nevillewood, and Kennedy, of the Country Club of York, had a one-shot lead after the opening round on Monday. Along with McGuire and Ruby, the team of William Wigton and George Bilowick and the team of Bob Allshouse and Bernie Zbrzeznj each shot 69 (-2) in the first round. McGuire and Ruby were paired with Schlachter and Kennedy in round two, and it was quite the duel. On the opening hole, Kennedy and Ruby each made birdie. Kennedy then had another birdie on the par-4 second hole to put his team up two shots overall. Another birdie on No. 4 by Ruby brought the margin back to just one shot, and then McGuire birdied the fifth hole to even things up. Matching birdies on six were followed by pars the rest of the way through the opening nine, setting the stage for an exciting back nine finish.
Schlachter and Ruby began the back nine by trading birdies on the par-3 tenth hole. The same two players each birdied 12 as well. However, Kennedy made par on No. 13 while Ruby and McGuire settled for birdie. Then on the 15th hole, another bogey from Ruby and McGuire pushed the lead to two shots for Schlachter and Kennedy. However, the three-time champs did not give in, as McGuire drained a seven-foot birdie on the par-3 17th hole to get within one shot heading to the 18th hole of the day, and 36th of the championship. But that was as close as they would get, as each team made par on the last hole, giving Schlachter and Ruby the championship that had eluded them for most of this decade.
"We'd been trying for a lot of years here, so it was fun to win this with your best friend," Schlachter remarked.
McGuire, of Hannastown Golf Club, and Ruby, of Uniontown Country Club, finished in second place overall with a score of 135 (-7). Following in third place was St. Clair Country Club's Edward McFarland III and Hannastown Golf Club's Dave DeNezza, who shot a second round 67 to finish at 4-under par. Wigton and Bilowick tied for fourth place with Buck Jones and Michael Nilon at 3-under par.
But as Kennedy can attest, it's a different feeling to finish at the top of the leaderboard.
"Seconds and thirds aren't nearly as much fun as first," Kennedy said.
The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Williamsport Country Club for their support and hospitality during the event.